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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fall — to drop
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — the season
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tear — to rip
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com